


Step Two

by sanctuary_for_all



Series: Partners [11]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Established Relationship, Feels, Fluff, M/M, Relationship Discussions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2014-07-10
Packaged: 2018-02-07 13:12:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1900209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny tries hard not to rush ahead. Steve has a hard time thinking about anything else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Not Going Anywhere

Danny picked up the half-empty bowl of potato salad, one eye always on the three figures playing out in the water. He'd actually volunteered for cleanup, seeing it as a last-ditch defense against a coordinated, two-man puppy-dog eye attack that was probably outlawed in most states. Danny had no doubt they'd have him in the water before the night was done – he knew his weaknesses, and their names were Grace and Steve – but he'd bought himself a little more time on dry land.

That didn't mean, though, that he couldn't enjoy the view. The sound of his daughter's laugh mingling with Joan's giggle made him stop for a moment, lips curving upward when Steve's matching laugh followed a second later. They were playing what looked like a very careful game of tag, with Steve holding the reaching toddler out in front of him while Grace swam in small, safe circles. All three of them were grinning like idiots, but Danny didn't miss the way Steve constantly made sure he was in the ideal position to protect both girls from anything from riptides to sharks.

At one point Steve turned his niece around, lifting her high enough to blow on her belly, and the little girl shrieked in delight. Steve's grin got a goofy edge to it Danny could see even from here, the one that made him look like a little kid who'd just stepped into his own surprise party. He forgot, sometimes, that Steve wasn't there for Grace's early days – sometimes it seemed like he'd been part of Danny's life forever – or that even after so many visits with his niece he could still be surprised by what a baby girl's laugh sounded like. He was good with kids. He should have more of them in his life.

They could adopt, he guessed. Danny didn't really know how that worked, and he had even _less_ of an idea how they could actually _raise_ a kid full-time given the fact that at least 90 percent of their lives were spent at the office or actively chasing people with guns. Chin and Malia did it, though, and Malia's job was at least normally crazy if not up to super-special 5-0 levels. And if the kid was a couple of years old to start with, maybe there was a chance they could actually—

Danny cut himself off, appalled at the direction his thoughts had been going.  He was supposed to be the one thinking rationally in this partnership, the one that tried to drag Steve _back_ when he wanted to charge off and do something insane. Okay, so he hadn't really managed that with the whole "move in together after three weeks" thing, but after some bastard had driven a truck through his living room on a sick day he hadn't been in the best shape to argue.

There was no _way_ this all should be working as well as it was. No matter how ridiculously, stupidly happy he was – and yes, he'd even been forced to admit it at times – Danny had sworn he wasn't going to take that for granted just because Steve McGarrett did terrible things to his brain cells. Steve always threw himself into things without looking, just assuming they would end up working out without too much blood or shrapnel. He needed to be the sensible one here, the one who thought things through and watched for warning signs, and now he goes and starts thinking about _kids...._

"I forget sometimes you're almost as messed up as we are."

Jumping a little at the sound of Mary's voice, Danny turned to see Steve's sister standing a little ways away with an oddly sympathetic expression on her face. She had a wet washrag in her hand, and had been clearly on her way to clean off the picnic table when she'd been distracted by her brother's boyfriend having a nervous breakdown on the lanai. "I don't know if I should be complimented or insulted by that." He scrubbed a hand over his mouth, wondering what she saw in his face, then nodded. "I think I'll go with complimented."

"That works." Her gaze turned to the three lunatics out in the water, her expression softening, then she glanced back at Danny. "He's not going anywhere, you know."

Danny froze, not sure whether explaining "Actually, I was thinking about having children with the man" would be a good idea. "I know."

She tilted her head slightly, studying him like she's not entirely sure of his answer. "Then why did you look so scared right then?"

Once again, "kids" wasn't really going to be the right answer here. "I just ... it's...."

"Yeah." Mary crossed the distance between them. "Listen, Danny. I know that face. Even now, I wake up sometimes afraid that it's all just a dream, that Joan won't be there and I'll be stuck back in the life I had without her."

Danny's chest twisted at the thought as he turned to look at her. "You're a great mom, Mary. You've gotta know that."

She smiled. "And _you_ are a fantastic dad, though I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that." Her gaze drifted back out to the water, his own following only a moment later. He was pretty sure they were playing peek-a-boo now, Steve pretending he can hide behind Joan while Grace pretends she can't find him, and if they both didn't already own him the sheer adorableness would have made it happen right then.

After a moment, he realized that Mary was watching him again. "I meant it, Danny. I don't know what happened between you and your ex-wife, but I promise you my brother isn't going anywhere."

Danny sighed, a twinge of melancholy working its way up through the pleasant Saturday-evening buzz. He hated it. "Listen, I know you're trying to help, but you can't promise that. No one can."

Her eyes narrowed for just a moment. "You're not planning on leaving him, are you?"

"No, you crazy woman. Of course not." Both the McGarretts were insane. _This_ was the family he'd chosen for himself? "If I'd been at all capable of leaving the man, I would have done it a long time before I realized kissing him was an option. So no, I'm pretty much locked in."

She relaxed a little at that, but she still looked at him like she was trying to figure something out. "You do realize he practically kidnapped you, right? When he got you to work for 5-0? He spilled the whole story to me one night when I got him drunk, and if I know Steve at all he was probably even _more_ annoying about it in real life than he was in his retelling."

Needing something to do with his hands, he picked up the bowl he’d forgotten and headed back into the house. The conversation was making him feel oddly jumpy. “Yeah, but that’s pretty normal for Mr. ‘Shoot First and Just Skip the Questions.” 

Mary followed him into the house, tossing the dishrag next to the sink. “When it comes to things that could kill him, yeah. But not when it comes to things that could break his heart.”

That made him turn around. “Oh, no. Don’t make some big romantic saga out of this. We drove each other nuts back then.”

She put her hands on her hips, staring him down. “If you really drove him so crazy, then why did he strong-arm his way into your life and then proceed to do everything he possibly could to keep you within arms’ reach? You should have heard him talk about all that custody mess you went through, Danny. He doesn’t sound that worried when he’s talking about _explosions_.”

Danny went still, slowly setting the bowl down on the counter. “He throws himself into things,” he said carefully, his brain seeing those early days in a whole new light even as he told himself he was being stupid. At the time, he’d seen Steve’s constant complaints about his ties and pro-Hawaii harassment as payback for the crap Danny was always giving him. But … he’d been so genuinely, ridiculously pleased when the ties had disappeared.

A dozen other little moments from the past four years lined themselves up in his brain. Using the governor to lean on Stan. Lying to the FBI for him. Thinking to bring Grace to him in the hospital when he went down with the sarin. Showing him his favorite secret spot in the mountains. Ordering him to his house for Christmas.

_Maybe you're not as alone around here as you think. You love me. Forget about it. For you. I wore this for you. You should be sure. Once you say something like that, you can't unsay it. Plus, you’d miss me too much._

Steve may not think things through, but once he was sure of something not even a freight train could stop him. And apparently, Steve had been sure of Danny from almost the very beginning.

Maybe the asshole had been saying "I love you" _this whole time._

Mary’s expression softened. “Correction. He throws himself into two things – danger, and you. He tends to do that when he finds something he can’t live without.” She patted his shoulder.  “Now, I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time we take a break and stop being grownups for a little while.”

Then, with a smile, she grabbed her diaper bag and headed upstairs to change into her swimsuit. Danny silently put away the potato salad, then headed back outside.

When they saw him, both Grace and Steve started moving to the shore. “You’re taking too _long_ , Danno!” Grace called out, waving her arms out toward the water. “You should come play with us now, and we’ll help you clean up later.”

“Yeah, Danno.” Steve’s smile was as big as he’d ever seen it. “Come play with us.”

“One of these days, you’re both going to turn into seals,” Danny called back, heart full and throat suspiciously tight. It was terrifying, loving people this much. But these days, an average Tuesday could be pretty nerve-wracking.

What mattered was who you had watching your back.

Grace shot him an affronted look. “You said I can't be a SEAL, because then that would give you a heart attack. Joannie and I are _mermaids._ ”

“Yeah, Danno,” Steve added. “Get your marine life straight.”

Danny laughed. “Okay, fine, you animals. I’m on my way.”


	2. Neither Am I

Steve had no one but himself to blame, really. 

It had been Grace who had first put the idea in his head, in fact. As soon as they'd assured her that Uncle Steve wasn't going anywhere, she'd announced that she was going to be their flower girl. Steve, lightheaded with relief at Gracie's reaction and amused that Danny had finally been rendered speechless, had teased him about it for the rest of the evening.

As the days and weeks passed, though, he couldn't shake the idea out of his head. They'd recently made same-sex marriage legal both in Hawaii and on a federal level, and the paperwork would help with the few medical professionals in the city who didn't know he and Danny on sight by this point. He'd talked Danny into moving in with him only a few weeks after their first kiss, and all these months later he still wondered how he'd ever woken up without the man. Steve had never seen himself as the marrying type, it was true, but he never could have imagined Danny, either.

Besides, people had thought they were married long before they'd started sleeping together. It was only fitting that it actually happen, right?

But Danny ... it had taken him years to finally make his peace with Hawaii, but he was still just as against the concept of marriage as he had been the first time it had come up in conversation.  Rachel had hurt him, deeper than even he would admit to, and Steve knew better than anyone that there were some scars even time couldn't heal. Steve had only risked bringing it up once or twice after that first night, heart in his throat and voice carefully casual, and Danny had immediately steered the conversation in another direction so he wouldn't have to say the word "no."

He didn't doubt the fact Danny loved him, and he'd finally started to let himself believe the man wasn't going anywhere. In return for that, he could accept a hell of a lot.

And if he had to remind himself of that sometimes, well, no one was the wiser.

000

Steve's legs were propped up on his desk, which would usually be a sign that he was actually _enjoying_ the phone conversation he was having. This time, though, the elevation helped his sore leg be slightly less sore – he'd faithfully taken his pills both yesterday and today, but the idea of holding to the doctor's "no strain" warning had been clearly ridiculous.

"...and I couldn't help but notice your weapons budget was actually $5,000 less this year than it was last year." Denning sounded amused, and Steve tensed as he prepared himself for whatever joke was coming. "I never thought I'd say this, but it seems as though being romantically involved with Detective Williams has finally settled you down a little."

Steve's shoulders relaxed. He'd actually have to use that one on Danny, the next time his partner yelled at him for not being careful. "I like to think so, sir."

"It would look really good for both of us if next year's budget showed a similar improvement."

Steve tipped his head back against his office chair, manfully resisting the urge to groan. "That depends on the cases, sir."

Denning sighed. "Of course it does."

Mercifully, the conversation ended soon after that, and Steve looked up to find Danny standing in the doorway. The way he was leaning against the frame suggested he'd been there for awhile, and the affectionate smirk on his face made Steve's lips quirk up even as he knew Danny was enjoying his misery. "You know, if you wanted to field a couple of Denning's calls, I might actually be persuaded to take on some of the paperwork."

"Not a chance, babe. If nothing else, the idea of letting you fill out an incident report frightens me." Still, his expression softened, making Steve's insides warm. "He’s happy about the budget, I take it?"

"For a few seconds, at least." Steve carefully lowered his feet to the floor, noticing when Danny's eyes narrowed slightly. "It's healing, Danny, seriously. I'm just trying to be gentle with it."

"When there're no suspects to chase after, sure." He straightened, like he was about to leave, and Steve repressed the urge to get up simply so he could follow Danny out into the main area. He'd only spent 23 out of the last 24 hours with the man, and somehow it still wasn't enough. "We don't have to do the zoo next week, Steven. Gracie's actually the one who suggested it – she knows you’re hurt, and if she sees you make that face I'm afraid not even I will be able to protect you."

Steve resisted the urge to argue that he hadn’t been making a face – any time he tried that, Danny insisted on detailing the entire catalogue of Steve McGarrett faces that only he ever seemed to be able to distinguish. "She's got a biology report." He grinned at the man he loved. "You can't expect her to properly communicate the majesty of a Malayan Sun Bear without seeing one in person."

Danny shook his head, his expression asking the universe why he continued to put up with his crazy partner. "You're lucky I love you. When those big worried eyes of hers guilt you to death, I promise to be appropriately sad at your funeral."

Steve settled back in his chair. "That's all a man can ask for."

Danny's own grin appeared for a moment. “I’ll remind you of that the next time the wheat grass mysteriously disappears out of the fridge for your own good.” He patted a hand against the doorframe, something odd flashing across his expression as he pushed himself away. "Oh, and about that other thing? Yes."

As he disappeared, Steve was caught motionless for a moment as he tried to figure out what "that other thing" was Danny was talking about. He ran through weeks of conversations, but he couldn't think of any questions in them that they hadn't answered long ago....

A small, quiet possibility presented itself. Steve's breath disappeared.

He stayed frozen for a second longer, then he pushed himself to his feet fast enough to knock his chair over and hurried out into the main area. Malia had come by to pick up Noah and Ailani from Chin – they hadn’t yet found a permanent babysitter they really trusted, and when terrorists weren't involved 5-0's headquarters were much more baby-friendly than the hospital – and they were both staring at him with obvious questions on their faces. Danny wasn't even looking at him, charming the babies as if he hadn't just fundamentally altered the entire world.

Potentially.

"Danny." Steve couldn't quite make his voice work right, but it was enough to catch his partner's attention. Danny was trying hard not to show anything on his face, but his eyes ... oh, his eyes held everything. Steve cleared his throat, his heart racing like it had just before the first time they'd really kissed. "Did you just answer the question I think you just answered?"

Danny's grin was like the sun coming out, and Malia and Chin's eyes widened at almost the exact same moment. Chin reached for his cell phone, clearly ready to text someone, but Malia was a few seconds faster.

Something tight unwound in Steve's chest, and he braced himself against the computer table as he moved to get down on one knee. Danny, looking alarmed, hurriedly handed Ailani to her father before rushing over to intercept. "You moron, I know you were running on the damn thing but this _definitely_ doesn't count as necessary—"

"Danno." Steve grabbed his hand, miraculously stopping the rant as he finished getting himself into position. "I'm using props because I'm trying _not_ to strain it. But I'm only doing this once in my life, and I am going to do it _right_." He could see Kono suddenly burst through the main doors, clapping a hand over her mouth as she skidded to a stop next to Malia.

Danny swallowed at whatever he saw in Steve's face, his hand gripping tight. "Far be it from me to dissuade whatever non-Neanderthal tendencies you might have." It was at this point Lou came in, huffing and puffing but looking pretty pleased with the universe as a whole.

Steve, though, only had eyes for Danny. "Is that the sound of you not arguing with me for once? I'm witnessing a miracle." His voice cracked on the last word, his chest full enough that there was a terrifying possibility he might start crying at some point. "I thought you hated the idea of getting married."

Danny let out a shaky breath. "I did. But a whole bunch of really awful stuff turns out okay when you're in it with me. We might as well test our luck."

Steve grinned, his eyes stinging as he looked up at the man who had given him everything. "Daniel Williams, will you marry me?"

Danny actually sniffled, his own eyes shining a little more brightly than they had been. "Since you clearly weren't listening to me the first time, yes."

Deciding he wasn't going to be able to stand up nearly as fast as he wanted to, he tugged Danny down to his level so he could kiss him properly. Thankfully, Danny obliged. “You goof,” he murmured, voice warm with affection in to seal their mouths together. Steve shifted so he was down on both knees, pulling Danny closer as he let the rest of the world blank out for a blissful moment.

Reality filtered back in as they broke apart, accompanied by the sound of applause, cheerful infant approval, and cell phone cameras snapping pictures. Danny grinned at him. "I am amused by the fact you'll be the one wearing white, though."

Steve grinned back at him, happier than he'd ever been. "Fair enough, but I'll have to be the one to carry you over the threshold."

Danny gave him a mock glare as he leaned in for another kiss. "Not if you want to avoid me murdering you before the honeymoon, babe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come check out my original short fiction on my [blog](http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com) or say hi to me on [Tumblr](http://sanctuaryforalluniverses.tumblr.com)!


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